Closure



A. L. MEROLLE Aug. 10, 1943.

CLOSURE Filed March 18, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 U 5 H 7 a? l a N 1/|\@Q/ W III! HI Q eizi4. L7

I WW II ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 10, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE-f CLOSURE Augustus L. Merollc, Brooklyn, N. Y; assignor to Empire Metal Cap Company, Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York I I Application March 18, 1941, Serial-No. 383,894

Claims. (or 215-46) This invention relates to closures for containers securing means, and so such closures have been made in what is usually known as a two-piece closure comprising an interior portion or cap in which the thread or other securing means is formed, and an outer portion or shell covering the cap. The shell portion, being on the outside.

is the part of the closure which is gripped by the an improved method of forming the closure as indicated. a g 7 Other and ancillary. objects of the invention will appear hereinafter. v i i a In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate theinvention: J 1

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away to show a section, of a shell portion of the closure adapted to receive the cap portion;

operator to unscrew the closure and so the outer portion or shell must be secured to the inner portion or cap, in which the screw-thread is-.formed, so that turning effort on the shell will turn the cap to screw on or unscrew the closure. The securing together of the cap and the shell, 'so that they may not have relative movement, is a matter of great importance because while the cap will not be turned if it is free from the shell,

even if the freeing is not-complete, the parts may become loose and interfere with the operation of the closure and cause the parts to become loose, rattling and unsatisfactory.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved structure of closure of the character as indicated where the parts are in .an improved relationship and the cap and shell are reliably" and firmly secured together- It is also desirable in connection with closures for receptacles that the closure should be locked in position upon the container against accidental displacement or tampering and yet the closure,

such as a screw closure, may be readilyreleased from this lock to permit removal of the closure from the container when desired. Such locking may be eifected by bending an edge of the closure about a bead formed on the bottle so that the closure cannot be removed without releasing it from the bent-over portion.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved closure of the two-piece character as indicated provided with a readily releasable means for the lock as has been referred to. This releasabiiity from the lock may be provided by a frangible portion in the lower part of the shell side wall which extends beyond the cap, and by frangible as used herein is-meant any construction providing a releasable connection between the portion interlocking with the bead on the container and the remainder of the closure.

A further object of the invention is to provide Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly broken away to show a section, of a capv portion in condition .to be inserted within the shell portion of Fig. 1;

' Fig, 3.i's an edge view of a liner for the closure;

Fig. 4 isa central, axial section showing-the cap piece inserted in the shell piece;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation, partly broken a ay to show a section, of the parts as shown in Fig. ,4

.with. a partially formed groove in the shell side Wall beneath the cap;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation, broken away and partly in section, showing the .next step in the formation of the fold in the shell portion, that is with the sides of the groove in the shellbelow the cap, being pressed together;

Fig. '7 is a side elevation, broken away and partly in section, showing the fold swung up-. wardly into theinterlor of the cap to tightly grip the same;

Fig. 7a is a fragmentary view. partly in elevation and partly in section, showing the structure of Fig. 7 with the frangible portion added to the shell wall;

7 Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a container with the closure applied thereto, the container being partly broken away and the closure being shown in side elevation, partly broken away showinga partial section;

Fig. 9. is a side elevationcf the structure as shown in Fig. 8;

10 is a top plan view of the structure of E-. i 1

Fig. 11" is a view of a modified construction of container and closure wherein thecontaineris shown in side elevation, partly broken away, and the closure is shown in side elevation, partly broken away to. show a section, the frangiblepo'rtion in this case being a partially severed-circumferential section in the shell .side well below the cap;

Fig. 12 is a sectional. fragmentary view showing a modified construction of. the means for securing the cap and shell together, showing the ;manner of providing one or more indentations at the inter-folded. parts to causeinterengagemerit of the side walls of the cap and shell;

Fig. 13 is a side elevation, partly broken away to show a section of a modified form of closure;

and

Fig. 14 is a top plan view, on a reduced scale, of the device of Fig. 13.

Relerring to the drawings and first to Figs. 1 to inclusive, the shell portion of the closure as shown in Fig. 1 comprises the top wall I and the circular, marginal, depending side wall 2. In the upper portion of the side wall 2- are the flutes or corrugations 3 which afiord a hand grip for turning the closure. They also form reeniorcing supports for the side of the cap. The top wall I has a circular indentation 4 forming a central dome-shaped portion 5. The shell per-- lion in this condition is ready to have inserted within it the cap portion as shown in Fig. 2. This inner cap portion comprises the top wall 8 and the circular, marginal, depending side wall I having the screw-thread S'adapted to cooperate with a screw-thread upon the container to removably secure the closure to the container.- The. upper portion of the side wall is knurled at 9, this aiding in holding the cap in theprocessof manufacture and also interengages with the usual liner which is placed within the closure to be forced against the end of the container to form a seal. By pressing the liner, which is usually of treated pasteboard, metal or other suitable material, within the cap against the top wall, the edges of the liner'will take in between the corrugations of the knurl and the liner will be more securely held in position when the closures are in stock and not upon the containers.

Also outwardly extending lugs it) may be formed in the lower marginal portion of the cap side wall, such lugs serving to cause the cap to more tightly fit within the shell and cooperating to improve the engagement of the cap and shell so as to prevent turning. Such lugs maybe caused by corresponding indentations on .the interior of the wall. r

Proceeding with the manufacture of the clo-.

sure,'the cap of Fig. 2 is inserted within the shell of Fig. 1 until the top wall of. the cap comes against the top wall of the shell;

been inserted it will be held from accidental iemoval or displacement therein during the handling incident to the manufacture of the closure.

The cap and shell havingfithus been nested Fig. '7. The told is thus curled about the edge of the cap, and presses tightly against the inside of the wall of the cap so that the cap is tightly gripped between the shell side wall at the outside oi the cap and the reflexed portion '12. The refiexed'portion l2 hasits sides tightly pressed in contact and is tightly pressed against the cap wall. Also the outer side of the cap wall has the outer shell wall tightly pressed against it.

The reflexed parts of the shell wall upon the interior of the cap, the marginal portion of the cap wall and the outer shell wall are thus pressed tightly and solidly together. The frictional grip ping of the cap by the shell will usually be sufficient to hold the cap and shell from relative rotation. The plural thickness of the wall upon the inside 01' the cap, which is occasioned by the reflexing of the side wall of the shell, greatly stifiens and strengthens the structure so that the cap and shell are morefiri'nly and securely held together. Also in turning the fold upwardly, the cap is forced upwardly against the top wall of the shell and even causes a slight 'fiexure of the shell top wall.

Also this upward movement of the cap causes the shoulder l3 at the upper part of the marginal portion M of thecap to tightly engage and even to some extent extend in between the ends of the flutes or corrugations 3 in the shell whereby the parts are all thus pressed tightly together, and the cap and shell are securely held against relative rotation. The security of this engagement is en- 'hanced by the lugs 60 which engage the shell.

The closure is then in the condition as shown in Fig. 7.

The shell wall extending below the cap may then have the circumferential scores 2i and 22 v ,over the thread I 6 and the closure is then screwed on, the thread l8 cooperating with the thread 8 in the cap part of the closure. When The cap and shell fit closely together so that after the cap has the closure has been screwed intoclosed position the lower edge 19 is bent inwardly beneath the bead ll which will ordinarily prevent the closure from being unscrewed and removed.

To provide, however, for releasing the closure so that it may be unscrewed from thebottle. a

tear-strip 20 between the scores 24 and 22, with the usual tongue 23 for gripping to start the tear out, is provided in the shell portion I8 extending below the cap. Fig. 9 shows the exterior side elevation of the closure as thus secured upon the bottle and Fig. 10 shows atop plan view of I the same. i

upwardly to the inside of the cap as shown in When it is desired to remove the closure, the tear out strip 26 is torn out thus separating the remainder of the closure from the lower edge of the shell portion. which edge is bent beneath the The closure is thus reieased from its bead i1.

lock andmay be unscrewed a'ndremoved from the container. 7

In some cases the tear-out strip may be V omitted, the movement of the "closure by the unscrewing effort being sufficient to straighten out the portion of the shell bent under the bead to }the (extent necessary to permit it to pass over the The liner 24 is slightly larger in diameter than the interior of the side wall of the cap portion the-inside of the top wall of the cap and the edge 26 ther'eat. I

Referring to the modified construction shown of the bottle neck so, as to form a seal in Fig. 11, thebottle has 'a wider bead is beneath which the edge of the, shellfdf .the closure is bent, than the bead i i-0'1 Fig. 81 Also the 'lo'wer'portion of the shell of the closure 21 below the cap,

- instead of being in line with the outer periphery of the upper portion of the shell ls bent inwardly and lies closely'against the bead 26 as appears in Fig. 11. Also the frangible part in the lower by partially severing the shell wall circumferentially of the closure, the severings 28 having between them the small connecting parts 29 which connect the upper and lower parts of the shell wall 21 which extends below the cap. Ihis sufiices to hold the closure locked on the bottle at all usual times, but upon sufllcient force being applied in. an attempt to'remove the closure by unscrewing it, the efiect of the unscrewing effort will be to break the weak connecting porportion 21 of the shell of the closure is formed a tions 29 when the closure'will be freed from its I lock and'may be unscrewed and removed from the container.

In order to more securely engage the cap and shell portions one or more indentations 30 as shown in Fig. 12, distributed about the circumference of the closure may be formed in the walls of the shell and cap, which indentations extend within the marginal portion of the cap member so as to form an interengagementwhich most strongly interlocks the cap and shell from relavtive rotation.

' what are considered its best applications it may have other embodiments without departing from its spirit andis not thereio 'e, limited to the structures shown in the drawings. v

What I claim is:

In a closure the combination with an outer shell having a top wall and a circular, depending, marginal side wall of annular cross section, of an inner cap having a top wall and a circular, depending, marginal side wall of annularcross being curled about the edge of said portion of the side wall of the shell extending below said fold, said extending portion comprising intermediate its top and bottom ends, said fold being curled about'the edge of said cap and a portion of the shell side wall'extending below said d section provided with means for securing said closure to a container, said cap being within said shell and the side wall of the shell being -folded intermediate its top and bottom ends, saidfold cap and a a frangible part whereby said closure may be released ior removal from a container.

3. In a closure the combination with an outer shell having a top wall and a circular, depending, marginal side. wall of annular cross section, of

.an inner cap having a top wall and a circular,

depending, marginal side wall of annular cross section provided with means for securing said closure to a container, said cap being within said shell and the side wall of the shell being folded fold, said extending portion comprising a tearout strip whereby said closure may be released for removal from a container.

4. In a closure the combination with an outer shell having a top wall and a circular, depending,

' marginal side wall, of an inner cap having a top .wall and a circular, depending, marginal side.

wall provided with means for securing said 010- sure to a container, said cap being within said shell and the side wall of the shell being folded intermediate its. top and bottom ends, said fold being curled about the edge 01 said cap and a.

portion of the side wall of the shell extending .below said f0ld, saldextending portion comprising a disruptible connection whereby said closure may be released for removal from a container.

'5. In a closure,- the combination with an outer shell having a toplwall and a., circu1ar depending section provided with means for securing said closure to a container, said cap being within said shell and the side Wall of the shell being folded intermediate its top and bottom ends, said -fold marginal side wall of annular cross section, of

ganinner cap having a top wall and a circular 7 depending marginal side wallof annular cross section provided with means for securing said closure to a container, said cap being within said shell and the side wall of the shell being folded intermediate its top and bottom ends, said fold being curled about the edge of said cap and a portion of the shell side wall extending below said fold, said extending portion comprising releasable means whereby said closure may be re-, leased for removal from a container, the annular portions of said shell side wall above and below said fold being substantially in line and substantially in contact with each other whereby there'wlll be no evidence of the fold visible on the outside of the closur except the narrow line of demarcation between the said portions of the shell side wall above and below the fold.

AUGUSTUS L. MEROLLE. 

